


A Regular Rick-tastrophe

by RedMetalWitch



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Aliens, Animal Attack, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Poisoning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26287078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedMetalWitch/pseuds/RedMetalWitch
Summary: "Just a quick adventure- urp- Morty.  Nothing drastic.  M-more like shopping, really."Morty had felt himself tense at those words.  The last time Rick had said that, the adventure had lasted six days and ended with Rick screaming and Morty weeping.  But as usual, Rick's lopsided grin had convinced him that everything would be straight-forward and simple.But when had that ever proved to be the case?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	A Regular Rick-tastrophe

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this to fanfiction.net, but I figured, why not post it here too?

_"Just a quick adventure- urp- Morty. Nothing drastic. M-more like shopping, really."_  
Morty had felt himself tense at those words. The last time Rick had said that, the adventure had lasted six days and ended with Rick screaming and Morty weeping. But as usual, Rick's lopsided grin had convinced him that everything would be straight-forward and simple.  
But when had that ever proved to be the case?

"There's a town close by." Rick said as he took a sip from his ever-present flask. "I need some items. I ordered them m-months ago. Finally they're- urp- ready." Morty nodded with a brief smile. They were surrounded by lush vegetation, the air was humid and hot. Morty was sweating profusely and so was Rick.   
"But Rick, why- why did we land so far away?" Rick frowned, his expression annoyed as he used his sleeve to mop sweat off his brow.   
"The Noraibu are- urrrp- primitive, Morty. If I land the ship right in their midst- urp- they would never sell me anything. They- they would run screaming. Hard to do business when everyone is hiding from you." 

The forest was teeming with life. Strange sounds came from every direction. Some were beautiful, and came from what Morty assumed were similar to birds, but when he saw fluttering wings he was shocked to see the creatures had humanoid faces. It opened it's mouth and began to sing sweetly. He stared, mesmerized until he saw that Rick was quite a few paces ahead. For about the thousandth time Morty wished he had a camera, he didn't even have his phone. Tiny colored blobs that reminded him of jelly fish floated on the breeze, and furry mammalian creatures darted through the branches. They walked for nearly an hour when they heard a strange screech in the distance and Rick suddenly froze in his tracks, his arm out to block Morty from walking further. The cry made the hair on the back of Morty's neck stand up. Rick held a finger up to his lips and Morty snapped his mouth shut before he could say a thing.

Another shriek answered the first, but this one was much closer. Rick glanced about rapidly, his expression growing alarmed.

"W-what is it?" Morty whispered as quietly as he was able. Then came another screech, even closer. Rick pulled a gun from his lab coat and pressed it into Morty's hands.

"Run. Now." he hissed, giving him a push and pointing ahead. Before Morty could protest there was another frightening cry that sounded as though it came from just above them. "Run, Morty!" Rick bellowed and shoved Morty forward, just as branches began to snap and leaves rained down. Morty stumbled away, searching wildly for the strange creatures. Rick held another gun and scanned the trees above them. "Fuck!" he snarled. Then came a blood-curdling roar that almost made Morty wet his pants and a nightmarish creature leapt on Rick.

Morty fired his weapon at the hairy behemoth as it knocked Rick to the ground. "Run, Morty!" Rick screamed again. Morty ignored his command and fired again and again, screaming in terror as he did, but it only seemed to enrage the ugly beast. It's fur was burnt away where each shot had struck it, but he saw no blood, or anything that even looked close. It's multiple eyes were black and reminded him of a spider from hell and Morty fired at the thing's face while Rick fired at it's belly. It's rows of needle sharp teeth opened in a furious roar as Rick and Morty shot at it again and again.

Two more suddenly appeared with a blood-curdling roar and charged.

"Rick!" Morty cried. Rick scrambled away from the first beast and yanked two small cylinders from his coat and flung them at the two who were rapidly approaching. There was a blinding flash and the shriek of the beasts made Morty's ears ring. When his vision cleared they were gone, but the first monster was still attacking. It plowed into Rick and knocked him down again.

"Fucking die!" Morty cried, pulling the trigger until his finger ached. The creature slashed at Rick with it's ragged claws and bit down on his shoulder, shaking him like a doll. Rick's pained cry was cut short as Morty fired at the beast's eyes again and again, burning them away. Finally the horrible thing reared up, releasing Rick from it's rabid jaws. He was flung to the dirt but managed to keep firing. Morty kept shooting as well, gasping in fear. With an ugly wail the beast fell back and thrashed violently. Rick lay gasping for several long seconds before he struggled to get to his knees and crawl away.

Morty didn't stop firing until the beast stopped moving. The gun fell from nerveless fingers and he dropped down beside Rick as he struggled to sit upright.   
"Oh, jeez, Rick!" Morty gasped in dismay, "Y-you're really hurt!" Rick grimaced as he straightened. The fact that he did not offer a sarcastic comment alarmed Morty even more. He could see the bleeding punctures in Rick's right shoulder. His shirt and lab coat were shredded and covered in slobber and gore. Morty cringed at the sight. Four gashes marred Rick's left cheek and two extended to cut across his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose, leaving his face a mask of blood. "Oh- oh God, Rick!"

Rick patted Morty's shoulder clumsily and attempted to smile but it came out as a grimace instead.

"We- we're close Morty." he said, his voice subdued in a way Morty had never heard before. He made to stand and Morty shot to his feet and grabbed his uninjured arm. Rick stumbled forward, but when Morty's hand tightened on his elbow, he didn't pull away as he usually would when anyone tried to touch him. Morty gnawed his lower lip anxiously. He knew Rick was proud and he only ever accepted aid when it was absolutely unavoidable. To even allow minor assistance could only mean that Rick was in a lot of pain. He pointed ahead, toward the setting sun, and Morty could see his hand shaking. "That way, maybe an hour walk-"

"An hour?!" Morty cried, noting the blood still oozing freely down Rick's chest, arm, and neck. "You'll never make it!" With a pained wince Rick pulled his portal gun from his tattered lab coat.

"There's enough left to get us about half-way there. M-maybe more."

They exited the portal and Rick gave an audible sigh of relief.   
"See there?" He pointed again, and Morty noted with alarm that his hand was shaking even worse. He could just make out the smoke from cooking fires. They were close.

"Y-yeah, I see it." Rick nodded once and began to trudge forward. They had walked only a few minutes when Rick's breathing became labored. Morty wanted to stop to give Rick a chance to rest, but didn't dare. The back of his lab coat was steadily darkening with blood as well from where the beasts upper jaw had pierced him. Rick stumbled and Morty caught his elbow again. "Rick, m-maybe we should stop for just a minute..?" Rick shook his head minutely.

"We- we have to- keep going." he murmured. 

"If you're sure..?" Morty replied. Rick nodded wearily and walked for another minute or two before he collapsed in a heap.

"Rick!" Morty gasped, trying to catch him as he fell. Rick was dead weight, and Morty didn't have the strength to keep him upright. He fell into the dust beside him. He slapped Rick's cheek that wasn't covered in black blood in an attempt to wake him, but Rick was unconscious. "Oh God!" Morty wrung his hands. He needed help. He couldn't just leave Rick here, but he couldn't drag him the rest of the way to the village. The portal gun was spent. It had brought them as close as it could without more power. He suspected it was one of the items Rick meant to purchase, or else they wouldn't have flown here in the first place.

Rick's breathing sped up and Morty watched in horror as his entire body began to tremble violently. Morty's eyes began to sting and then flood with tears.   
"Rick, I'm going to get help." he said, wiping tears away. He tucked his gun in Rick's hand and scrambled to his feet and ran.

Morty reached the village in about five minutes. He had run as fast as he could until he reached a wall of thick posts that protected the village. He wanted to vomit from the run, the heat, and the humidity. Only the adrenaline pumping through his veins allowed him to continue.

"Help!" he began to scream, pounding his fists against the tall posts as he searched for the entry. "Please, I need help!" The area outside the wall was thickly wooded and he stumbled through the thick underbrush searching frantically for an opening, all the while screaming for help. Suddenly the ground beneath him dipped and he fell, crashing through bushes and landing on a dirt road. He pushed himself up with a grimace and found a stone-tipped spear pointed at his face. He stayed on his knees, but put his hands together as if in prayer.

"Please! I need help! My grandpa is hurt! We were attacked by a monster! Please! I'm begging you!" he felt hot tears roll down his cheeks as he gasped for breath.   
The man at the gate had pale, well-muscled, lavender skin, and long white hair with several thins braids throughout. He wore feathers, beads and shells in his hair and on his scant clothing. He cocked his head at Morty in confusion, but withdrew his spear and offered Morty a hand. Morty pointed back the way he came when the man helped him to his feet. The man spoke softly, his expression concerned, but his language was incomprehensible. Morty wished then that Rick (frankly he didn't care which one) had invented a universal translator. He waved his arms and tried to act out what had occurred. The man nodded with a smile and began to call out. The people inside glanced over curiously and a young boy ran up to the guard and they spoke for a moment. The young boy nodded and ran off. Morty began to fidget nervously and the guard patted his shoulder with a smile then held up his hand in a universal gesture to wait.

A few minutes passed with Morty growing increasingly nervous and fretful. He kept glancing back to where he'd left Rick and prayed no monsters sniffed out his blood and sought to feed on him. The idea filled him with such dread he felt more tears spilling and hurriedly wiped his face. The guard patted his shoulder again and Morty was grateful for the man's kindness. 

The young boy reappeared with a large man covered in soot and bulging muscles. He had something around his neck that looked like an old wristwatch on a necklace strung with stones and shells. The man stared expectantly at Morty as did the guard and the young boy.

"I-I need help!" Morty blurted. The watch face beeped briefly and then a tinny voice spoke in the strange language. Morty's eyes lit up. "You- can you understand me?" he cried his eyes hopeful. He heard the tiny watch speak again and all three nodded with a smile. "Please! My Grandfather and I were attacked! He- we were on our way here to buy something. This big, hairy animal attacked us! Rick is hurt!"

"Rick?" The man with the translator murmured after the tiny watch was done speaking. "Sanchez?"

"Yes!" Morty cried. The man spoke and then the watch said: "Is he awake?"

"No, he's unconscious. He lost a lot of blood!" he said and felt a palpable relief when he told the boy to inform the healer to get ready to receive an injured man. He told the guard to find a few able-bodied men to help and some other word that didn't translate. After another few minutes in which Morty continued to fidget impatiently three men arrived on what looked like massive, fluffy cows with an extra set of eyes, flaming red fur, and six, stubby horns. The heavily muscled man covered in soot grabbed Morty and hefted him up onto one of the beasts in front of one of the men. "Lead the way." he merely said and Morty thanked him with a trembling smile.

The red animals were fast, and it only took a few minutes to find Rick who lay exactly as Morty left him. Morty was trying to figure out how to dismount the large animal when the man behind him leapt off and held up a hand urging Morty to stay put. Morty gnawed his lip as they approached Rick. The larger of the three hefted him up easily and slung him over one of the red beasts back before clambering up behind him. Rick moaned softly as the beast began to move, but was otherwise silent. Morty watched him for the entirety of the short trip, but he did not wake.

The village was abuzz when they returned and two men stood ready with a stretcher that consisted of two long, wooden poles and an animal skin. They gently placed Rick upon it and carried him off, Morty was quick to follow. 

They made their way through the village and all the curious onlookers, but Morty kept his eyes on Rick. He was shaking badly and Morty felt his insides twist. His skin had taken on a grayish cast and sweat beaded his brow. His face was twisted in pain. They entered a long house made of wood and clay with a thatch roof. Bones, feathers, and shells hung outside the door and windows. The sweet smell of a wood fire reached his nose. He followed the men inside, and was relieved to see the man with the translator waiting within. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he saw a chubby old woman rise from the fire and hurry over to Rick's side. She looked at Morty and began to speak rapidly.

"Describe the animal that attacked you." The large man covered in soot translated. Morty described it's many eyes and needle teeth and heavy black fur. The concern grew on the old woman's face as Morty's words were translated and he began to grow nervous again. She saw his expression and smiled, patting his hand. She spoke again and a young woman pulled Morty aside and offered him a wooden bowl full of exotic-looking fruit. Morty picked up a slice of a pale green fruit with red seeds. He dared not just eat it. Rick had drilled it into his head several times what to do with any unknown food. It would take an hour just to see if it was safe to even eat one. He squeezed a tiny drop of juice on his hand and wiped it off on his shirt and set the fruit down. He was hungry, thirsty, tired, and his head was beginning to pound. Just having the chance to rest was helping a bit, but he wanted water. The young woman, as if sensing his thoughts, brought him a cup of something that looked like milk. He took a small sip and realized it was indeed the sweetest, most delicious milk he'd ever had. But he set it down and forced himself to wait and make sure he had no terrible reaction. He watched as the younger woman went to Rick's side. 

The old woman and the younger woman began to cut off Rick's jacket and shirt with a stone knife. Where the blood had glued his shirt to his skin they poured warm water and gently pulled the fabric free. Rick's feet kicked briefly and Morty heard him utter a low moan despite how careful they were being and Morty felt his stomach clench.

They began to clean his shoulder first and each swipe of the wet cloths on his skin caused Rick to flinch and kick weakly. His eyes were still closed and he was still breathing heavily. Once his shoulder was cleaned they took several long, deep purple leaves and poured steaming water over them. A pale lavender gel began to form around the leaves and when they looked twice as thick they began to lay them over the wounds on Rick's shoulder. 

The reaction was immediate. Rick gave a choked gasp and his eyes flew open. He looked confused and alarmed. The younger woman hovered just above him and he shoved her back with a snarl.

"Rick calm down!" Morty cried as he jumped to his feet and drew closer. "They- they're helping!"

"It burns!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Get it the fuck off!" the elder woman grasped his wrists but he easily wrenched free and tried to scramble away.

"Rick, no! You need help!" Morty cried. Rick shook his head, his eyes wild, his chest heaving. The older woman spoke in a low voice to the younger who quickly got to her feet and ran from the longhouse. "Rick, it's alright." Morty said softly. "You were hurt, remember?" Rick tore the leaves from his shoulder with a tight grimace. He was covered in sweat and when his eyes shifted to Morty he saw that his pupils made up the majority of his iris, leaving only a thin band of blue. If his expression hadn't been so pained and uncertain the effect would have been frightening. "Calm down, they are going to help, ok?" Rick squinted at him as though he couldn't see him, but Morty was a mere three feet away, and he wrung his hands nervously. "I'm r-right here, ok?" Rick didn't respond, his chest still heaving. He reached up and lightly touched his torn cheek and gasped, his eyes slamming shut, his mouth twisted in a snarl.

"Fuck!" he rasped. "It burns!" he said again, as if the discovery was too shocking to absorb. 

The young woman re-entered the longhouse with the burly, sooty man. He knelt at Rick's side and Morty listened as the little watch translated his speech.  
"Rick Sanchez. I am Eidarr. Do you remember me? You gave me this translator and I sell you gems. You are in my village along with your grandchild. He said you were attacked by a Durgal. Do you remember any of this?" Rick stared at him as if he'd no comprehension of what the man had said. He shook his head slowly, backing away. Eidarr spoke quietly with the old woman and eventually sighed. "Morty, you Grandfather is suffering from the venom of the Durgal. We must restrain him in order to treat him before it is too late." Morty swallowed hard and nodded.

"I - I understand. Do w-whatever you need to." Eidarr nodded and called out and another burly young man entered the longhouse. Morty winced at the expression on Rick's face as the two men drew close. His eyes were wide in alarm and his breathing picked up even more until he was nearly hyperventilating. Eidarr grabbed Rick's wrists and the young man lunged and caught Rick's ankles. 

"No!" he gasped when he tried to pull free and realized he could barely move. "G-get off me! Wh-wh-what are you d-doing?!" he cried, his stammer growing more pronounced with his panic. He continued to struggle and thrash and Morty could feet his eyes begin to burn as Rick's struggles grew more frenzied and he was babbling incoherently, mostly: "No!" and "Fuck!". But it took little time for him to wear himself out. His wounds started oozing more rapidly and the men easily manhandled him onto his side so the women could clean his shoulder again and reapply the slimy leaves. He grit his teeth when they were nearly finished and suddenly howled: "It's fucking burning me!" he tried to kick and thrash again, but the men had him pinned securely. The women covered the leaves with thin, white cloth and it clung to the lavender goop covering the leaves. Once they seemed satisfied the elder woman gestured to Eidarr and he arranged Rick in a sitting position, but Rick slumped back, completely exhausted. Eidarr arranged him so that he leaned against his chest, his head lolled back against Eidarr's broad shoulder. The younger man still held Rick's ankles in a tight grip. Rick was still gasping as if he couldn't get enough air and his face and chest were flushed with exertion.   
The women gently cleaned his face, but at every feath-light touch Rick grimaced and shied away. 

"S-stop." he murmured once, his voice slurred. To the wounds on his face they applied a vibrant green paste. He cringed and tossed his head, trying to avoid their hands, but it was useless. Morty watched the realization of his own helplessness dawn on his face with sickening dread. His features twisted in distress and he tried kicking again, despite it's futility. "Please!" he suddenly begged, his voice thick. "It's burning me! G-get it off!"

Eidarr tried to reassure him that it was strong medicine, but Rick was beyond consolation, beyond hearing even. His tormented expression tore at Morty's heart. He'd never seen Rick, the man he admired most, so unhinged. He tried again to struggle, but his movements were weak and he was clearly too exhausted to fight. But it was as if he could understand nothing but pain and the need to escape. The old woman spoke quiety to the younger who nodded and made her way to the back of the longhouse. She returned moments later with a wooden mallet, four wooden stakes that were almost two feet long, and several thin strips of furred animal hide.   
"Wait.." Morty began, rising to his feet.

"He must be restrained until the poison leaves his system." Eidarr said when he saw Morty's alarm. "He is already hallucinating. Other's have killed innocents in this state. It is the only way to prevent him hurting himself and other's. The things people see can drive them mad with terror. And you should not stay here to watch it."  
"I'm not leaving him!" Morty said, his expression hard. Eidarr smiled softly, as if it was no more than he expected. They pounded the stakes into the dirt floor until only six inches remained visible and tied Rick's ankles and wrists to the stakes while he panted breathlessly, his gaze unfocused. The young man and woman left then and Eidarr stood as well.

"Be warned then: He will likely not recognize you for hours, possibly days. His pain will be severe. His hallucinations will likely be frightening. It is a difficult thing to watch a loved one suffer through. Do not be ashamed if you need to leave for a while. He will probably not even notice your absence." Morty nodded, chewing his bottom lip. "I will be at my workshop if you need me." he said and then left. 

Rick stared at nothing, his breathing- at last- even and regular. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, and his pupils were still blown wide. After what felt like at least an hour, he began to murmur quietly. Morty crept close, the old woman brewed something in a scorched-black pot. It smelled of pungent herbs and flowers. She smiled at Morty as he drew close. But once he was close enough to make out Rick's faint murmurs, he wished he hadn't.

"Burning." and "Fire." and "Stop." were all he could make out and it made his chest ache terribly. He was way out of his depth and couldn't do anything but sit on his ass and rely on aliens to save Rick. His mumbling would cease and his eyes would slide shut for several agonizing minutes before he would awaken with a strangled gasp and his eyes would dart around wildly. 

After another hour in which he seemed to have been asleep, his entire body jolted and he began to tug his restraints. His exhaustion had worn off somewhat and he began to struggle violently. Morty's pleas for Rick to calm down went unheard. He tugged at the ropes until his hands and feet turned purple. Morty crawled to his side, his heart pounding.

"Rick, calm down!" Morty cried. He touched Rick's forehead above the cuts across his eyebrow and was shocked at the heat radiating from his skin.

"Morty?!" Rick gasped, finally recognizing his grandson. 

"Rick please, you- you're hurting yourself! Just relax!" He knew he sounded hysterical, but Rick still looked so confused and panicked that Morty couldn't control his own fear. "You are sick, but the medicine will help you, but you- you need to calm down." he said, trying to lower his voice so he wasn't screaming in Rick's ear.   
Rick stopped yanking at his bonds, his expression bewildered and hurt. Morty swallowed nervously, wondering if he'd read him correctly.

"W-why- why the fuck am I tied up then?!" he barked, furious. Morty recoiled in alarm as Rick began to writhe and strain against the restraints again. 

"Rick, stop!" Morty cried again. "No one is trying to hurt you!"

"You- you little bastard, let me go!" he snarled, arching up in an attempt to pull the stakes free. "I'm going to throw you in a fucking fire when I get loose! See how you like it!"

"Rick, you're not going anywhere. Your- You've been poisoned. You're not thinking." Rick's struggles immediately ceased and he lay gasping again. "Good. You wore yourself out again. Feel better?" Morty snapped, hurt by Rick's insults. He knew Rick was in a great deal of pain, but it wasn't Morty's fault, and he didn't need Rick berating him while he was already so tense and fearful. Rick's face twisted in rage and he screamed in fury. 

"I'm burning to death, you motherfucker!" he bellowed. His head fell back and he continued to gasp. He was quiet after that, he turned his face away from Morty and kept his eyes shut. Morty couldn't help but notice the way tremors still ran through his whole body, but the circulation was returning to his hands and feet, at least.

Morty was awoken with a jolt when Rick started screaming and cursing again. The women had apparently just replaced the gooey leaves with a fresh batch.  
"Get it off!" he screamed repeatedly. Morty covered his ears, but it did little to block the sounds of Rick's torment.

He'd exhausted himself again. He was unconscious, and Morty was nearly asleep himself. The fire burned low and the old woman knelt beside Rick and patted his cheek gently until Rick woke with a groan. Morty was about to protest, but she was already helping him raise his head and drink from a wooden cup. The sigh of relief he heard from Rick when he finished drinking brought a small smile to his face and he closed his eyes.

Morty woke early as the forest came to life around them. Rick was murmuring something he couldn't make out, but his eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. In the dim light Morty could see sweat on his brow and dark circles under his eyes. Morty crept outside and found a thicket of bushes to pee in, then snuck quietly back into the longhouse. 

Rick was awake when he returned and he looked terrified. Morty swallowed a lump in his throat as he drew near. Rick caught sight of him and immediately began to struggle. He realized he was restrained and began to panic.

"No! Don't touch me!" he gasped, his eyes squeezed shut. "Please, I don't- I don't want to!"

"Rick, it's me-" Rick shook his head wildly, his eyes squeezed shut.

"D-don't touch me! Please!" he begged again. "S-stay away!" Morty backed away a few paces, but Rick did not notice, caught in some terrible hallucination. "I- I just want to go home." Rick moaned, his nearly black eyes rolled back in his head and he again tugged violently at his restraints. "I want to go home." he said again and again, each repetition sounding more and more broken. 

Morty quietly sat back down on his bed of animal furs and picked at the fruit in front of him. The pale green fruit with the red seeds was edible after all and frankly, amazing. But Morty's appetite vanished with Rick's desperate pleas. It was going to be a long day.

Morty decided to visit Eidarr when Rick finally lost consciousness again. His terrifying hallucinations had gone from bad to worse. He'd begged some unknown entity to leave him alone, to free him, and eventually to kill him. Morty couldn't bear it. Whatever visions were tormenting Rick, Morty was sure he didn't want to know. It left him feeling so useless and guilty. He only wanted to offer comfort, but every time he tried to get close, Rick flinched away, clearly afraid. Morty didn't want to make things worse, but it seemed that was exactly what he was doing. 

After another violent attempt to escape, Rick's eyes rolled back and his head fell back with a thud. The old healer began to wipe his face with a wet towel and reapply the green paste as Morty rose to his feet.

He left the longhouse and began walking. There were trees and thick vegetation all throughout the village. Gorgeous flowers and vibrant fruit hung from nearly every plant. The villiagers had hanging baskets filled with what he could only assume were herbs in any available patch of sunshine. Small garden plots were scattered everywhere. Several women were hanging what looked like fish to dry from long ropes tied to trees. Some worked with furs, cleaning the hides and tanning them. He spotted thick, black smoke and headed toward it.

It was coming from Eidarrs workshop as he had supposed. Eidarr was surrounded by stunning gems in a rainbow of colors. Some were tiny, some sat behind his bench on the ground and were nearly Morty's size. 

"Wow!" Morty breathed as he drew close. Eidarr was working on a chalice studded with green and gold gems. 

"Good day, Morty!" Eidarr's translator chirped after he spoke with a warm smile. 

"H-hello." Morty said, with a small smile. "That's really beautiful." he said, pointing to the chalice. He waited patiently for the translator to speak, and Eidarr's smile grew.

"It is a gift for our Queen. She lives very far away, but she has just given birth to a child. I've made a few things to give her, this is merely the most useful." Morty nodded. "I am leaving perhaps tomorrow, or the next day. I did want to speak to your Grandfather before I left, how is he doing?" At that, Morty's expression fell.  
"He won't let me come near him. I don't know what he's seeing, b-but it must be terrible." Eidarr nodded with a frown. 

"He will be well soon. Shiara is our most competent healer. She has saved many from the Durgal venom. He will have scars, but her medicine makes them heal much quicker than they normally would. The Lischi leaves draw out the venom well. It is a painful process, but it is the only effective cure." Morty nodded.  
"Y-yeah, I heard." Morty chuckled weakly. "Apparently it burns."

"Indeed it does." Eidarr said, his expression unreadable. Morty began to fidget.

"So, uh, can-can I help you with anything? I'm no help to Rick, and I can't just sit there all day." Eidarr looked thoughtful. 

"I could use some firewood for cooking. Nothing too large or heavy, mind you. I would be most grateful."

"S-sure!" Morty perked up. "I'd be happy to!" Eidarr pointed to the area they had been clearing to build more homes.

"There you will find more than enough for a cooking fire." Morty nodded and smiled.

He returned and hour later with both arms hugging a large bundle of sticks. Eidarr laughed at the sight.

"Morty! That is enough for several meals! Thank you!" Morty grinned, happy for the first time since he and Rick had arrived on this world.

"It was no problem." he said, somewhat bashfully.

"Well, come on then, let us eat. I already have everything ready."

Morty ate what looked like stew and root vegetables. It tasted like it too save for the fact that it was more delicious than any stew he'd ever had. Eidarr seemed pleased at his obvious enjoyment. 

Once they were finished, Morty tried to help clean up but Eidarr shook his head, smiling as Morty yawned. 

"Go rest, Morty. The day grows hot. Most are getting ready to rest now."

"O-oh yeah?" he yawned again. "That sounds like- like a good idea. Thank you for the food." he smiled and waved to Eidarr and made his way back to the healer's home.

His pleasant mood evaporated as he came close to the longhouse. Rick was awake and screaming.

"Get it off! Get it off!" he was roaring. The old healer was just replacing the white cloth to Rick's shoulder when he walked inside. She drew back with a gasp and Morty was shocked to see Rick trying to bite her. "You fucking witch! I'll kill you!"

"Rick!" Morty cried, running over. "Stop it!"

"Morty!" Rick gasped, his pupils still blown wide. "Help me! Untie me! She's going to kill me!"

"No, Rick!" Morty cried, shaking his head. "She's trying to help you! Y-You're sick! She's making you better!" Rick's stunned expression gave way to hysterical laughter.

"I knew it!" He suddenly screamed. "I knew you would stab me in the back one day, you gutless worm!" Morty shook his head slowly, his eyes filling with tears.  
"Rick, please, you're hallucinating and y-you're hurt. No one is trying to kill you. Especially not me!" The rage drained from Rick's face in an instant, replaced by agony. He grit his teeth but could not stop a ragged gasp that morphed into a whimper.

"Get it off me!" he cried, his voice shaking. "Please! I-I'm burning." Morty sighed and rubbed his face. He made his way to his pallet of furs and lay on his side, facing the wall. He covered his ears as Rick continued to cry out.

The sun had just set, the old woman was preparing the dark purple leaves, and Morty cringed. He'd been with Eidarr the last time she had begun changing them and hadn't seen the horrible wounds since they had first arrived at the healer's home. 

She gently peeled back the white fabric and quickly scrubbed it in a large tub of water with a thick bundle of fragrant herbs. She then slowly began to peel away one of the leaves and Rick's eyes flew open. His dazed expression faded quickly into one of shock. The shock then bled away to something Morty had never seen on Rick's face: Fear.

Morty felt his stomach drop as Rick began to tremble and shake his head in negation. 

"Don't please! Please I can't- I can't anymore!" Rick cried. "Why are you doing this? Just - just tell me what you want and I'll do it!" the old woman smiled sadly at him, but continued to peel the old leaves away. Rick began to struggle wildly, but the old woman merely stopped what she was doing and waited for him to exhaust himself. 

It didn't take long for Rick to collapse, boneless and gasping. She began to peel away more leaves and Rick's face twisted in grief. Morty saw a tears leak from Rick's closed eyes and slide down his temples into his hair and felt his own eyes instantly burn and overflow.

"Please," Rick sobbed and Morty felt like he would be sick. "Please don't!" Hearing him beg was even worse than hearing him scream furiously and Morty was grateful had hadn't eaten yet as his stomach churned unpleasantly. But once the new leaves were applied and the white cloth was back in place Rick's pleas rose to wordless howls of pain. Morty staggered to his feet and stumbled from the longhouse, his hands covering his ears.

He found himself in a thick copse of trees with a little steam. He fell to his knees and retched violently. He could still hear Rick screaming, but it was faint. His stomach was empty but he still hacked out some bitter, yellow bile. He crawled away from the vomit and sat at the base of a huge tree. Eidarr had been right after all. He could not stand to see Rick in such pain. The pain was bad enough, but fear on top of it? Tears and begging? Morty couldn't handle it. He was weak. He'd always known it, but abandoning Rick when he was in such a state was truly cowardly. Morty sobbed into his hands.

It was perhaps an hour later when Morty finally got to his feet and made his way back to the healer's home. He heard no more screams and his heart thudded painfully in his chest as he went back inside. Rick's eyes were open and he was breathing hard. Tremors ran through his arms and legs. His face was pale with fatigue but his eyes were finally starting to look normal. He could see the pale blue color of his iris more, and Rick's eyes followed him as he drew close instead of darting about wildly.

"Morty?" he croaked. Morty winced at the sound of his strained vocal chords.

"Hi, Rick." Morty said softly, his smile strained.

"What happened?" he said, and winced at the pain in his throat. Morty knelt next to him and stared down at his face, he seemed fully aware, though confused.

"You were hurt, Rick. We- we were attacked. You were bitten by a venomous... Monster. I-I mean literally. This thing was a fucking ugly nightmare. Scary Terry would have shit his pants." Rick huffed out a weak chuckle and offered an even weaker smile. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Hot. Tired. Like I got my ass kicked." Rick said, his voice almost deserting him entirely. He swallowed with a wince. The old healer raised her head up from her work and smiled brightly. She rose and walked over and knelt at Rick's side and began to speak to him. Morty gaped when he answered back in her language. She felt his forehead and nodded and began to untie him. Morty perked up immediately and went to untie Rick's ankles. Rick's strangled gasp reached his ears and he stopped what he was doing. Rick slowly pulled his arms to his chest with a tight grimace and Morty frowned, going back to his work. After being tied up for almost two days his shoulders had to hurt like hell, not to mention his right shoulder was filled with punctures. The healer helped Rick sit up, which looked equally painful, judging by his expression. Morty frowned at the bruises encircling Rick's ankles as he drew his legs toward his body. His hips and knees had to be just as stiff and sore as his shoulders, Morty supposed, which was confirmed when Rick gave a full body shudder. 

For a long while he stayed there, arms wrapped around his legs, with his head resting on his knees. The healer knelt behind him and began to rub his back and he groaned softly. She murmured something and Rick nodded. She wet a towel and tapped his chin and he raised his head and turned to face her, his eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. She wiped the green paste off his forehead, nose, and cheek, and Morty was amazed to see pink scars instead of crusted, red scabs. 

She then peeled off the fabric and purple leaves, the lavender goop had dried to a powder. Morty quickly counted thirty puncture wounds, still scabbed over. He wondered if Rick had an equal amount on his back and shuddered. The healer offered Rick a wooden cup and he drank it quickly. 

"How do I look?" Rick asked, his voice still raspy, but not as hoarse as it had been just minutes ago. His expression was wry as he gazed at Morty.

"Bad ass." Morty said with a grin. Rick offered a smile that quickly became a yawn. He idly scratched the scars on his cheek. The healer spoke again, gesturing at the bed Morty had slept on. Rick nodded and yawned again and she laughed softly. He rose slowly and unsteadily and trudged to the bed as if his entire body ached, and Morty was certain it did. He lie with his back to them both and was soon snoring quietly.

Morty spent the next day visiting Eidarr and gathering wood for the healer. He honestly could think of no other way to repay her. But he was glad to have something to do, and he felt immensely relieved when he returned to the longhouse with his first, neat bundle and she smiled happily and showed him where she kept her fire wood. He saw that it was nearly empty, and decided he would fill it completely while Rick slept. 

He finished filling her wood bin and realized the sun was about to set. He entered the longhouse and saw Rick was still sleeping. The bruises around his wrists were darker, and Morty was glad they had been able to untie him when they did. He was also glad they hadn't used regular rope. The skin around his wrists and ankles would have been completely torn off after the way he'd struggled.

The healer shuffled over to him and offered him a bowl of something that smelled amazing and his stomach growled loudly. She chuckled quietly and Morty felt his face grow hot. It looked like fish soup, full of chunks of meat and pale broth and leafy greens. As he ate he watched Rick began to blink sleepily and sit up with a grimace.

"Rick! You- you're finally awake! How are you feeling?" He saw Rick eyeing his bowl of food and sniffing. "Are- are you hungry? You haven't eaten in days! You must be starving." The old woman was sitting next to the bubbling pot and she spoke to Rick and he replied and she found a small bowl and gave him an even smaller portion. She brought the bowl to Rick and wagged a finger at him, saying something else which brought a faint smile to Rick's face. He nodded and took the bowl and a spoon from her. "How come she gave me so much more then you?" Morty wondered aloud. Rick sighed.

"She says I can only have a little bit. And if I start feeling sick to stop eating. The- the venom makes eating difficult."

"But I thought you were better?" Rick ate a spoonful and shrugged.

"Well I'm not tripping balls anymore, but..." He trailed off and shrugged again, taking another bite.

"But..?" Morty urged. Rick winced and set his bowl down. His stomach was already beginning to churn. He belched and rubbed his stomach with a grimace and stared at the floor, his face growing pale. "Rick? Are you ok?" he took a deep breath and nodded. 

"I- I don't think-" suddenly his hand flew up to his mouth and his eyes clenched shut. He breathed hard through his nose and gave a full-body shudder, but after a few moments he began to relax and dropped his hand. "I can't eat yet." he said through bloodless lips.

"Rick, m-maybe you should lie down again." Rick nodded tiredly and lay back on his side and curled up in a ball. His eyes were wide but his gaze was unfocused. Morty began to eat again, but it was hard to enjoy while Rick was unable to eat more than two bites. Rick's eyes drifted shut after a few minutes and Morty sighed in relief. He didn't know how long it would take Rick to heal completely, but he hoped it was soon. He wanted to go home, and he knew Rick probably did too. His mother was probably out of her mind with worry. He didn't even know if Rick had said goodbye to her. He wished he could speak to the healer himself.

Rick woke with a growling stomach. The longhouse was lit by the dim glow of the fire. He was sweating terribly and his throat was parched. Morty slept of a pile of furs beside him. The healer slept beside the low fire. 

The soup he'd tried to eat earlier was gone and he frowned. He was so hungry. He looked toward the fire and saw a large blackened pot sitting close. He rose on shaking legs and shuffled close to the fire. 

The old woman perked up immediately and blinked sleepily at him.

"You're awake young man?" He smiled faintly at her and nodded. "You are hungry then?"

"Yes." he said, his eyes darting to the pot. She chuckled and nodded. 

"Eat just a little. I know it's hard, but you were almost sick earlier, weren't you?" 

"Yes." he said with a frown. 

"You just need to take it slow. You were badly hurt, and the Durgal venom can easily be deadly. It is good your grandchild found us when he did." Rick nodded and glanced at Morty who slept on unaware. Rick grabbed a bowl and a ladle and helped himself to a small portion of the leftovers.

"How long am I going to be... Like this?"

"Like what? Describe how you are feeling." She said, sitting up. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged.

"Not right." he said, his expression bleak. "I'm too hot, I keep shaking, I feel like I swallowed a bunch of snakes, my head hurts so damn bad that I can't think, and I'm just so tired." She nodded as if it was no more than she expected.

"It will pass in the next day or so. The only thing you can do is eat and try to rest." he nodded in resignation and picked up his bowl and took a small bite.  
He was relieved that he was able to finish the small bowl without nearly vomiting. The feeling of writhing snakes in his belly faded away and he felt exhausted again. He murmured good night and shuffled back to the pile of furs.

The next morning Rick awoke and, despite still feeling sick and tired, he was determined to go home. Morty was obviously eager to do the same, and they sought out Eidarr. Rick was pale with exhaustion after the short walk and Morty feared he might collapse judging by how he began to sway drunkenly. Morty urged him to sit in the shade while he walked the rest of the way alone.

"He knows what you need, doesn't he?" Morty said when Rick began to protest. Rick nodded with a huff and waved Morty away irritably.  
He returned only a few minutes late with Eidarr behind him.

"Rick, I am relieved you are feeling better." he said, noting with a frown that Rick was still quite pale. "But you must not over-exert yourself."

"I just..." He trailed off with a sigh. Eidarr smiled softly.

"You miss your home. You do not need to explain. It is obvious." Rick chuckled tiredly.

"I just want a pizza and to sleep for a year." Eidarr smiled wider and held out a bag for Rick. Rick took the bag with a relieved sigh. His coat and shirt were still in tatters but he carried it along anyway as the pockets were still intact and retrieved his portal gun. "What do I owe you?" Eidarr frowned and shook his head.

"Nothing this time, Rick. Had I known you were coming I could have warned you that the Durgal are in the midst of mating season. No part of the forest is safe. It is a small thing you ask for and I gladly give it knowing you are well again. And anyway, your grandchild has been a great help to me and the healer these past few days. I do not feel you owe me anything." Rick nodded and sighed.

"Next time, then." Eidarr nodded and grasped Rick's hand, pulling him to his feet.

They drove Rick's ship through a portal and landed in their driveway. Rick had barely made it from the passenger seat when Beth and Summer burst into the garage.

"Where have you been?!" Beth cried. Taking in the sight of them she gasped. "Dad? Oh my god, what happened to you?!" Rick cringed and his hands rose to the sides of his head. Beth shot Morty a questioning look and he shook his head, raising a finger.

"I'm fine." Rick sighed, "Just need to lie down before my fucking head explodes."

"Sure, dad. Can I get you anything?" Rick shook his head and shuffled inside. Summer and Beth watched him walk inside before turning on Morty. "Morty, what the hell happened? His face is covered in scars! And his shoulder-"

"I know Mom! I saw the whole thing." he sighed. "Can we just go in and- and I'll tell you. He should be alright soon."

His explanation left Summer and his Mother dismayed.

"How long will it be until he's back to himself?" Beth wondered aloud. Morty shrugged.

"The scars aren't going anywhere soon, but he's just supposed to rest and eat awhile. He didn't want to stay there any more, though. As soon as he was able to leave, we did. He can't eat too much, he ate about two bites last night and almost puked, but he did mention wanting pizza."

"I can order some now-" Summer began.

"No." Morty cautioned. "We- we should wait until he wakes up again. He's been sleeping a lot, but Eidarr said it will still be a few days before he's all better."

"Those things didn't hurt you, did they, Morty?" his mother asked. Morty smiled sadly.

"No, Rick was the only one who got hurt. B-but I think he'll start to feel a lot better now that we're home. D-don't worry, Mom."

Rick awoke in the dark and glanced across the room to the small alarm clock. It said 9:12. He groaned as he rose from his bed. He was in his favorite blue pajama pants and a black tank top that mercifully didn't snag at the scabs on his shoulder and back. His shoulder still ached terribly, but it wasn't nearly so bad as it had been. He shuddered at the memory. He'd not often be injured so grievously. He wanted to forget the past week as if it had never happened. He vaguely remembered screaming at Morty. He hoped he hadn't said anything unforgivable. 

He made his way towards the sounds of some lame television show and saw Summer, Morty, and Beth all on the couch. Beth sprang from her seat instantly.

"Dad! How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?" He gave her a brief half-smile and shook his head. "Come, sit." she gestured to the couch. "Can I at least get you something to drink?" Rick shrugged.

"If you have something that won't make me barf." he said with another weak smile. Beth smiled brightly at him.

"I actually do." Summer and Morty were next to smile at him like he hung the moon, and he felt a pang of guilt again. They patted the couch between them.

"Grandpa Rick, we found the coolest movie! It's about this cute guy from another planet attacking Earth and these weird super heroes are trying to stop him. Most of them are really hot!" Summer gushed.

"Y-yeah Rick! The good guys are really cool, you gotta see this!" Rick plopped down between them with a groan, rubbing his still-aching head. He had no interest in watching the "super-hero" movie, but was content to sit and relax between Summer and Morty. Frankly he wasn't up to much else. He really wanted some whiskey, but if he could barely stomach food, then alcohol was out of the question.

Beth returned moments later and handed Rick a can of ginger soda. He gave her another fleeting smile and drank nearly the whole can, belching loudly when he'd finished. Morty and Summer both giggled.

"Jeez, Rick, that almost popped my eardrums!" Morty said. 

"It's not my fault Morty- urp- it's the bubbles." he said with a grin.

He fell asleep before the movie was half over, Morty and Summer snuggled at his sides. Beth watched the trio with a fond smile. From what Morty had told her, it would still be a few days before her father was back to his "normal" self, but in the meantime she would dote on him in any way she could. As vulgar and brash and wild as he was, he made them happy. She didn't want to think about what life would be like had Morty returned alone. It was bad enough when he'd gotten arrested. And it made her feel good to know that he felt more comfortable with them then on some alien planet, even if he had friends there.

The movie ended and Summer and Morty rose, stretching. 

"You both go to bed, it's a school night, don't worry about grandpa, I'll take care of him." they both nodded and trudged up to bed without complaint. Beth watched them go and stood and made her way over to her father and patted his unscarred cheek lightly. "Dad? Wake up. Come on, you shouldn't sleep on the couch, it's too lumpy." His eyes flew open with a gasp and he recoiled from her, breathing heavy. "It's ok!" she said. "It's just Beth."

"Fuck!" he gasped. "I thought.. Never mind." he said, brushing off whatever he'd meant to say with a strained laugh. "Weird dream." he said as an explanation. Beth nodded and watched him climb to his feet and stumble up the stairs.

Morty heard an light tapping at his door before Rick stuck his head in, looking completely exhausted.

"R-rick? What's wrong?" he stood in the doorway a moment, nibbling his thumbnail.

"Did I- when I was hallucinating- did I tell you I wanted to kill you?" Rick said, his voice small. Morty blinked in surprise.

"You remember that?" Morty said, and Rick winced and stepped further in to the room.

"I-I didn't mean it, Morty-"

"I know Rick. Don't worry. Half the time you didn't even recognize me. I know you didn't mean it. You were in a lot of pain."

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I- I should have been more careful." Morty shrugged.

"Have you ever seen or heard of those things before?" Rick shook his head. "Then how could you have known? You- you can't beat yourself up because you don't know everything." Rick frowned, but Morty continued. "I'm just glad you're feeling better. And I'm glad we're home." Finally Rick smiled.

"Me too, buddy. Me too."


End file.
